The Walker Foundation appoints new Trustees
June 22, 2017
The Walker Foundation Announces New Appointment to the Board of Trustees and Officers for 2017-2018
The Walker Foundation, the fundraising arm of the South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind, announces the appointment of two Trustees to its Board of Trustees. The new appointments are Lori J. Coon, chief operating officer and publisher of Integrated Media Publishing, Greenville, SC and Deborah Whitmire McLaughlin, regional vice president of Sodexo, Columbia, SC.
Since 1979 The Walker Foundation Board of Trustees has worked to secure financial resources that are used solely to benefit the programs and services provided by South Carolina’s children who are deaf, blind and sensory multi-disabled.
“We are so excited to gain such talented and community oriented individuals who truly care about the children we assist”, said Anna H. Converse, chair of The Walker Foundation. “We have a very strong group of leaders and we could not be more excited to have these exceptional community leaders join our Board of Trustees. Both of these individuals have in-depth professional backgrounds and are passionate about the mission of The Walker Foundation”.
As chief operating officer and publisher of Integrated Media Publishing, Lori Coon oversees Greenville, Columbia, and Charleston business magazines as well as Palmetto Parent. Her business publications have connected business professionals through South Carolina for more than a decade. Ms. Coon is not only passionate about her profession; she is passionate about making a difference in the lives of others. She has served on the boards of Safe Harbor, Greenville Downtown Sertoma Club and Greenville Chamber of Commerce. “It gives me great pleasure to have the opportunity to serve on the Board of Trustees for The Walker Foundation”, said Ms. Coon. “Being involved with an organization that provides the resources to help deliver high quality education to maximize each student’s success is truly an honor”.
As regional vice president of Sodexo, Deborah McLaughlin has a passion for ensuring that children have access to nutritional meals. She has been involved with numerous organizations including Scott Hannon Foundation, School Nutrition Association and Rotary International. “It is a great honor to be selected to serve on The Walker Foundation Board of Trustees”, said McLaughlin. “I look forward to being a part of making a difference and enhancing the education of the students at the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind”.
Additionally, the Board of Trustees elected the following slate of officers for the 2017-2018 fiscal year: Mrs. Lynne W. Burton, chair; Mr. Tom Farthing, vice chair, Q. Stan Halliday, III, treasurer and Mrs. Kitsy Babb, secretary.
“Our organization has and will continue to work tirelessly to raise the resources needed to support the important programs at the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind to help ensure the highest quality education and enrichment programs, said Anna H. Converse, outgoing chair. “It has been an honor to lead this group of dedicated and committed business men and women from throughout SC these last two years as we have worked for one common goal, to embrace the possibilities for children who are deaf, blind and multi-sensory disabled”.
The 2017-2018 Board of Trustees include: Lynne W. Burton, Chair, Spartanburg; Tom Farthing, Vice Chair, Simpsonville; Q. Stan Halliday, III, Treasurer, Spartanburg; Kitsy Babb, Secretary, Spartanburg; Valerie Barnet, Spartanburg; Hope Blackley, Spartanburg; Sandra Cannon, Spartanburg; John Chapman, Spartanburg; Joel Collins, Jr., Esq., Columbia, Robert A. Dobson, III, Greenville; John F. Dunbar, Jr., DMD, Spartanburg; Jeremy Ethridge, Lexington; Cordelia Fort, Spartanburg; Geoffrey Groat, Jr., Charleston; Christina Melton, Ph. Ed., Lexington; Laura Montgomery, Spartanburg; William Montgomery, Spartanburg; Brooke Mueller, Spartanburg; James Nittel, Spartanburg; Andrew Patrick, Hilton Head; Donna Pulliam, Spartanburg; Lee Anne Williams and, Spartanburg and; Judy T. Wilson, Spartanburg.
About The Walker Foundation
Founded in 1979 for the sole purpose of working directly with the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind, The Walker Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to securing the resources needed to help the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind achieve its mission and goals. For more information, please visit www.walkerfdn.org or call 864-577-7583.
About the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind
The SC School for the Deaf and the Blind is the state’s specialized school for students who are deaf or blind. It offers pre-K-12 educational programs on its main campus in Spartanburg and specialized vision and hearing services in school districts and homes throughout the state. For more information, go to www.scsdb.org or call the school’s toll-free number at 1-888-447-2732.
